The Iron Reporter
by Stephycats7785
Summary: Chloe Sullivan works for the Daily Planet and is ordered to interview Tony Stark because Stark industries and Luthor Corp are rumored to be planning a merger. What happens when one stubborn reporter meets the one and only Iron Man?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Iron Reporter**

**Rating: T**

**Pairing: Chloe Sullivan/Tony Stark**

**Summary: Chloe Sullivan works for the Daily Planet and is ordered to interview Tony Stark because Stark industries and Luthor Corp are rumored to be planning a merger. What happens when one stubborn reporter meets the one and only Iron Man?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Smallville or Iron Man!**

_Introduction- Headed To Long Island_

"Sullivan I want to see you in my office in fifteen minutes!" The slightly balding Perry White snapped out as he hurried to his office with Jimmy Olsen following along quietly with his arms loaded with an assortment of papers and pictures.

Ever seen becoming editor and chief of the Daily Planet he had been running a tight ship and many of the so called real reporters had been shipped out. One of the first things Perry had done after taking over when Lex decided there wasn't much he could with the paper when he had other bigger things to focus on was to hunt down Chloe and demand she come work for him. He claimed the one prized paper would not be the same without her. After many hours of pleading he convinced her to come back, but she wouldn't take one of the higher positions he offered. The blond reporter had told him plain and simple that she wanted to earn her way to the top one article at a time and he accepted her terms because he desperately wanted her on his team. She was one hell of a reporter after all.

Chloe quickly finished editing the article she was currently working on before pressing the print button and heading to the main office. When Mr. White said he wanted to see you in fifteen minutes he really meant that he wanted to see you right now. Without knocking she walked inside and sat down in the free chair opposite of his desk. "You wanted to see me Sir?"

"I take it you have heard the gossip buzzing around this place about Tony Stark and Lex Luthor considering merging their two companies together?" He asked taking a song sip from the flask he carried around with him at all times. The girl from Smallville had a feeling he was not carrying around spring water in that thing.

"I have heard the rumors about it yes." She replied crossing one leg over the other. "Personally I am not sure why either man would be considering a merger since Stark Industries claims to have broken all ties when it comes to weapon development and Luthor Corp has never show interest in merging with anyone."

Perry leaned forward in his seat with his fingertips pressed together. "Well that is one of the man questions I want you to have answered. I am sending you to Long Island and I want you to be one of the first people to get an interview with Stark. There is supposed to be a meeting for the press in four days, but I would like to have an article ready to print the day before. I know that if any of my reporters has a chance of getting this interview it would be you. Show me that you haven't lost all your skill in the few years you have been gone."

She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward as well. "Sir, don't you think it would better to send someone who has been here longer? What about Lois and Clark? They make a good team and in the past the duo has been known to get interviews when nobody else could."

Truth being told Chloe thought it would good for Clark to go and meet Tony Stark. He could go as a representative for the Justice League and hopefully get the face of Iron Man to make and alliance with the JL. He would be the best one for the job other than Oliver of course, but Queen Technologies and Stark Industries usually did not do business together since Stark Industries used to mainly deal with weapons. Since that was different now maybe Oliver and Tony Stark could start working together.

The Editor and Chief let a smile curve his lips upwards. "Let me give you a little information on Tony Stark. He is one of the world's most eligible bachelors and he is known to give female reporters interviews over men. Not only are you single, but you are one of my best reporters. Now you are going to Long Island and you are going to get that interview understand?"

"I understand completely Perry." She sighed as she stood up and headed towards the door. She turned to face him as she reached for the door handle. "When will I be leaving?"

The older man stood up after going through a pile of papers. He strode over to her and handed her a plane ticket. "Your flight leaves tonight at seven thirty and I have the hotel reservations all worked out for you. You will be staying at the Hilton closest to the main Stark Industries building because I thought it would be your best shot of catching him off guard which is something that you seem adept to do. I am not going to partner you up on this since you work better alone, but I will allow you to take Olsen with you if you think you are going to need a photographer."

Chloe thought about it for a few moments. Things with her and Jimmy hadn't been the same since he learned she was a meteor freak. He had broken up with her for Kara which was ironic considering Kara was an alien, but he didn't know that and so she guessed that it did not technically count. Still, she wasn't sure bringing him along would be the smartest thing she could do. She worked better alone anyways and Perry had pointed out that Tony Stark had a thing about single female reporters.

"I think I can handle this one alone chief." She stated with a smile before opening the door. "I better get ready for my flight and that means going home to pack. I won't fail you Perry."

"You never could kid." He called as she shut the door to his office and disappeared down the hall.

TBC…

**AN: This is just the introduction and I know I have not done a Smallville story crossover or otherwise in a long long time. I am still trying to get back in to writing it so bear with me. Let me know if you all liked this or not. In the next chapter Chloe meets Tony Stark. I put a preview at the bottom if you want to check it out.**

**Please R&R like always!**

**Preview for the next chapter:**

"**I'll have a double Mocha Expresso please."**

"**Make that two." "Hello there beautiful, I am Tony-"**

"**I know who you are Mr. Stark." "Is it true that you are planning to merger Stark Industries with Luthor Corp?"**

"**You're a reporter?" "And here I thought you were following me because of my looks. You know, I have been working on some stealth technology that may help you when it comes to sneaking around."**

"**I thought Stark Industries was no longer involved with making weapons?"**

"**I said I was working on stealth technology and not the next Jericho missile." "If you want to be a reporter you may want to work on getting your facts straight."**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Smallville or Iron Man!**

"I'll have a double Mocha Expresso please." Chloe asked the boy at the counter of the coffee shop right next to Stark Towers.

She was absolutely exhausted from the night before. Her flight had arrived late and while she had originally been planning to get some shut eye Perry had called her informing her of how he had pulled some strings and gotten her an invite to some gala Mr. Stark would be attending. So instead of the sleep she had been hoping for she had to get ready in a flash which was difficult considering she hadn't packed anything for a gala, but Oliver had given her his credit card in case of emergencies and so that had paid a hefty price for proper dress and despite all her searching she had been unable to find Tony Stark at the party. The rumor was he had taken a model home and so Chloe was left to her own devices which included avoiding and older gentleman who was convinced he could make the blond reporter fall in love with him if she would only speak with him.

"Make that two." A deep voice spoke out from next to her and she turned her head to see who had the guts to think he could cut in line and she came face to face with Tony Stark himself. He looked exactly the same as he did in pictures and she was left to wonder if perhaps he had a makeup woman handy at all hours because nobody could be that happy this early in the morning. "Hello there beautiful, I am Tony-"

"I know who you are Mr. Stark." Chloe said quickly cutting him off. She knew that she probably be nice to him, but it was his fault she hadn't gotten any sleep and since lack of sleep make her cranky he would just have to deal with it. After a moment their order arrived and he paid before she could which also annoyed her since she may not be a billionaire, but she certainly wasn't broke. Taking a sip of the steaming liquid she felt herself relax slightly as she looked back over to where he was standing. "Is it true that you are planning to merger Stark Industries with Luthor Corp?"

"You're a reporter?" He cringed before motioning to a nearby table where they sat down across from each other. Usually he was better at spotting a reporter and yet his mind had been elsewhere lately so he did not take his lack of notice personally. Anyways, now that he thought of it he did recognize her from the night before. Before he had left the gala he heard her asking around for him and so he had made a hasty retreat and this morning she had been waiting outside Stark Tower for his arrival and he had sat in the limo until she left. Ever since news of the merger had gotten out he was being hounded by the press. "And here I thought you were following me because of my looks. You know, I have been working on some stealth technology that may help you when it comes to sneaking around."

"I thought Stark Industries was no longer involved with making weapons?" Chloe questioned while reaching in her purse to pull out her notepad and a pen. She had left her laptop in the hotel room since she never thought she would run in to Tony Stark at the coffee shop of all places.

"I said I was working on stealth technology and not the next Jericho missile." The older man told her with a smile that he used all the time when it came to the press. He had to give this girl some credit because most female reporters would be trying to seduce him for the information they wanted (not that he minded when they chose to use that tactic) and this girl was all business and seemed to be very organized as well. "If you want to be a reporter you may want to work on getting your facts straight."

Chloe sent him a smile of her own before taking another sip of her coffee. "Well I suppose you can make sure I get all the facts straight when you let me interview you tonight."

"And what will I be getting in return?" He questioned trying to maintain his serious expression. He was good when it came to knowing how to use his poker face as he called it.

Resting her fingers against her chin as she pretended to think Chloe let out a sigh. "Is the pleasure of my company not enough?"

Tony pressed the tips of his fingers together. "While I am sure you are amazing company when you want to be I am going to be giving you an interview earlier than all the others who have come searching around so I only think it fair that you join me for dinner tonight at my place. If you can make it through the meal then I promise to answer any questions you want and maybe a few you forget to ask."

Chloe knew that she could not turn down this offer and so she nodded in acceptance. "I suppose I can manage to clear my busy schedule enough to have dinner with you. What time would you like me at your place?"

"I'll have a car pick you up from your hotel at six thirty." He told her standing up and moving around to her side of the table in order to pull out her chair for her.

"I am capable of paying for a cab you know." She responded rising to her feet. "You really do not need to send a car. I can secure my own transportation to your place and then back to the hotel."

"So you won't be staying the night then? I am highly disappointed to hear this." He put on a pained expression before continuing on with what he had been saying. "I am sure you can afford a cab, but why waste your money when you can get a free ride? The car will be there at six thirty and we will be eating at seven. It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Sullivan and I await your company tonight."

Her nose scrunched up in confusion. She did not remember telling him her name. "How do you know my name?"

He turned as he walked backwards towards the door. "I had my computer program run your picture through the internet data base last night when I realized you were stalking me."

"You Googled me?" The bond reporter placed her hands on her hip.

Tony smiled before backing out the door. "Of course I didn't Google you. I used Yahoo search which is much more reliable."

TBC…

**AN: Hey I hope that you all liked this chapter. I know it has been forever, but I was watching the Avengers and it made me want to work on this. I hope that you all liked it and I would love to hear your opinions on the story thus far.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Smallville or Ironman!**

Chloe frowned as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. In all honesty she wasn't sure what one would wear to a dinner with Tony Stark when it was actually not a date, but more of an interview. She did not want to go with a dress because it may give him the wrong impression and yet she did not want to wear jeans and a t-shirt because it would be unprofessional. In the end the blond reporter decided she would go with black slacks, a white button up blouse, and black pumps. Her hair had been piled neatly on top of her head and she did up her face with natural colors.

By the time she went downstairs there was a car waiting for her. The driver smiled and opened the back door for her. Once she was inside the car her anxiety began to grow. Normally Chloe wasn't one to be nervous during an interview, then again she had never really interviewed anyone like Tony Stark. The closest she had come would be Lex, but she had interviewed him while still in high school and Oliver, but Ollie was her friend and so it hadn't really been weird.

It did not take very long for the driver to stop in front of Tony's building. He helped her out before telling her that he would be taking her home after dinner. Chloe thanked him and headed inside the building only to be stopped by a pretty redhead around her age. The reporter knew right away this must be Pepper Potts. It was a well-known fact that Pepper Potts was Tony Stark's right hand woman. If you wanted to get in contact with him you needed to go through her.

"Hi, you must be Chloe Sullivan. I'm Pepper and Tony asks me to bring you up." The redhead said with a friendly smile as they shook hands. Pepper had to admit that so far she liked this Chloe Sullivan. She wasn't like the other girls her boss brought home on almost a nightly basis. "I have to say that I am a huge fan of your work at the paper in Metropolis. I have a few friends there who said I should read your articles and I did. I have to say that you are an amazing writer."

Chloe smiled and blushed slightly. "Well thank you very much for saying that. It's nice to know that I have at least one person who reads my work and appreciates it."

Pepper nodded slightly as they entered the elevator. "Tony will be a few minutes late because he got caught in a meeting, but he told me to tell you feel free to have some wine and look around. He shouldn't be very long and if you need anything all you have to do is press that white button by the door and you will reach me in my office. Is there anything that I can get you before I get back to work?"

The reporter from Smallville shook her head. "No thank you. I think that I can handle myself from here. It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Potts and I hope that I get to see you again some time."

After Pepper had left, Chloe looked around with a sigh. The penthouse was basically what she would expect from a billionaire genius. It kind of reminded of Oliver's place only with less green and much more red. Walking over to where some shelves lined the wall she looked at many of the awards and trophy's he had. Chloe had to admit that it was rather impressive. Someone as young as Tony Stark with all the achievements was not something to take lightly.

She paused when she came to the one thing which really made him Ironman. It was the original mini arch technology he had created to keep the shrapnel from reaching his heard. She let her fingers trace the outline of the glass box it was in as she studied the life saving device. Of course he had a newer one now, but even for older technology it was impressive. There was so much he could do with this sort of technology and she was glad that he was no longer making weapons, though he was thinking of merging with Luthor Corp which wasn't a step in the right direction if he wanted to help mankind.

"Strange isn't it?" A male voice questioned behind her as Tony came to stand next to her. She had not even heard him come in. "It's hard to believe that something so small can do something life changing."

Chloe tilted her head slightly to smile at him. "As crazy as it may sound I have seen stranger things. I have to admit that it is impressive to actually see. Before this I had only read about it on the internet. Your father would be extremely proud of you."

The billionaire playboy didn't respond right about. Honestly he was trying to figure her out. She wasn't like other reporters who would do almost anything for an interview. Chloe Sullivan was extremely professional and he had to admit that he admired her for that. "I hope that I did not keep you waiting very long?"

"Your assistant was nice enough to show me up and I haven't been here very long." She told him before turning and walking to the table waiting as he pulled out a chair for her before sitting down across from her. "Would you like to start the interview now?"

He smirked at her and shook his head. "You're all work and no plays are you Ms. Sullivan? How about we enjoy dinner first and let the conversation flow freely. After dinner if you still have questions then I would be delighted to answer them."

"You are a devious one Mr. Stark, but I think I can work with that." Chloe smiled as they prepared to eat their dinner.

TBC…

**AN: I know this chapter is kind of short, but I am getting ready for my GED test and then college and I have my own short stories I have been publishing so I am sorry if it takes a while. Still, I hope that you all liked this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts. In the next chapter is the actual dinner.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Smallville or Iron Man!**

Chloe could admit that dinner had been amazing. He had somehow managed to find out her favorite foods and all of them were a part of their meal. It was a delightful surprise knowing that she got eat her favorite foods and wouldn't have to pretend to eat some weird fancy food whose name she couldn't even pronounce. Once at a benefit Oliver had been hosting she found out that all evening she had been snacking on snails. Since then she made sure to check out what something was before she would dare try it. Now that dinner was finished it was time for the interview. While dinner had been great there was work to be done.

"That was a lovely meal Mr. Stark, but I think we should probably start with the interview now. Do you mind if I record this?" She wiped her face with a napkin before taking a sip of her white wine.

The billionaire smiled and motioned with his hand that it was fine. "I don't mind if you record the interview. Do you care for another glass of wine?"

"I'm fine for now thank you." The blond reporter replied while reaching in her purse for her hand held recorder. She made sure it was on and recording before she asked her first question. "Since your time as a hostage in the middle east you have made a lot of changes to the company. I have to wonder why you would want to merge your company with Luthor Corp since you well know that they have recently started taking an interest in weaponry. Has Stark Industries decided to get back to its roots?"

"Just because Lex Luthor has taken an interest in weapons it doesn't mean that I want anything to do with that. Luthor Corp has a lot more to offer than just its recent interest in weapons. I feel that this joining of companies could do so much for mankind. Lex Luthor has made so many advancements in fast growing crops not to mention his company and everything they have done for medical research. That is what I am interested in Ms. Sullivan not weapons." Tony leaned back in his seat and took a sip of his wine. He thought he had given her a pretty good answer. He wanted it clear that Stark Industries was not falling back in to the weapon making business.

Chloe nodded as she thought about her next question. "Does the face of Iron Man really want to be associated with someone who his known for his less than ethical research tactics even if it is in the name of science?"

He took a moment to think about that. Of course he knew that Lex Luthor wasn't exactly one of the good guys, but then again he wasn't exactly evil either. Also Iron Man had nothing to do with his company they were two separate parts of his life. "Iron Man has nothing to do with Stark Industries. I don't believe that anything Mr. Luthor does should reflect badly on all the good we may be able to do. Yes some of his tactics are dirty and I don't always agree with him, but the question you have to ask yourself Ms. Sullivan is if you honestly want a 100 percent good guy against all the dirty ones out in the world. Sometimes dirty tactics are the only way to win. I'm sorry that I had to say that and yet you and I both know it is the truth. If a time ever comes were the world doesn't have need for dirty fighters then Iron Man will be right there helping to take each and every one of those less than noble people down, but until then I am going to do the best that I can with what I have got."

"That is all anyone can do these days." The blonde female stated with a sigh. "We didn't ask for a world that needs heroes, but the truth is that we do. I suppose my next question has to be why Luthor Corp? There are other companies out there who have had as many breakthroughs as Lex Luthor and some that have had even more. Why not Wayne Enterprises or Queen Industries? What makes Luthor Corp better than either of those companies?"

The face of Iron Man pressed the tips of his fingers together. "I personally know both Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen and while I cannot deny that both of their companies have made amazing discoveries I have my own reasons for wanting to merge with Luthor Corp."

"What would those reasons be?" Chloe asked with her eyes full of curiosity.

"Off the record?" He asked and waited until she had shut off the small recording device on the table. "To be honest I want to keep my eye on Lex Luthor. The best way to do that is from the inside and earning his trust. What better way to earn his trust than by merging our two companies together? I think that is enough questions for today. I hope that I will be able to see you again soon Ms. Sullivan and I also hope that you will stay for the press conference. Would you care to have lunch with me tomorrow? It would be the perfect time to ask any last minute questions since the conference has been moved to the day after tomorrow."

Chloe nodded in acceptance because Perry would kill her if she turned down the chance for a second interview. Getting one was impressive, but getting two was most definitely going to get her a raise or maybe even a promotion. "How about we meet at the café by the hotel I am staying at? I am free around noon if that is a good time for you."

Tony offered her a charming smile again. "If you make it eleven thirty then you have yourself a deal. I will have Pepper send a car for you around eleven fifteen. Have a good night Ms. Sullivan I await our lunch together tomorrow."

TBC…

**AN: Hey guys I am sorry it took me so long for me to update, but I didn't really have the inspiration until I watched the Avengers and Iron Man again and I have gotten back my inspiration. Let me know if you all liked this or not and what your thoughts were.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Smallville or Iron Man!**

The next morning Chloe woke up early and decided that she should probably call Oliver. He would want an update on everything that was going on. Pulling out her cell she dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. Luckily she did not have to worry about anyone tracing the call since Oliver made sure to have all lines in and out protected.

"Chloe I was hoping you would call." Oliver greeted her with a cheery tone which told her that the Justice League was doing pretty well without her there to keep them in line. "Did you get that interview you were hoping for? I know you said that you wanted to get it on your own, but if you need me to make a few calls I can."

The blonde reporter smiled as she shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "I actually got the interview already and I have another one later today. I just wanted to call to check in and let you know that I was alright. How are things on your end?"

"The same as usual." Oliver replied with a sigh. "We located another 33.1 facility and Aquaman went to check it out with Cyborg."

"Do you need me to come back earlier?" Chloe asked not liking the idea of them going to a facility without her backup. "I can always call Perry and tell him that there was a family emergency. He won't be happy, but I think that he would understand."

"Chloe we can handle this." He told her loving the fact that she cared, but feeling slightly annoyed she felt that she had to babysit the group. They were grown men for crying out loud. "You do what you have to do. Speaking of Tony Stark, have you had the chance to talk to him about Iron Man maybe joining the Justice League? We could use someone like him on our team."

She bit her bottom lip before answering. "I haven't had the chance yet, but I might bring the topic up today if I have time."

"Well be careful Watchtower." Oliver said. "We can never be sure who Lex has corrupted and who he hasn't. For all we know he could have turned Stark to his side. While I doubt that has happened you still need to watch your back."

"I always do Ollie." Was her response before she hung up and headed to have a shower before it was time to meet Tony for lunch.

As the warm water trickled down her bare skin Chloe let her thoughts wander to Tony Stark. He was just as arrogant as the television made him out to be, but there was a soft caring side the world didn't see. Of course he had to appear one way for the world because he was a business man, but Chloe could tell that like Oliver he wanted to let people in and just did not know how. The problem with Lex was the fact he let people in, but then he would do something to betray them and since he did not see his actions as betrayal he would feel as if he was the one that had been betrayed and in the end it turned him cold and bitter towards humanity.

Clark would always blame himself for the way Lex turned out and even though Chloe tried to make him realize he couldn't save everyone it was a useless cause. Clark was just the kind of person who blamed himself for the suffering of everyone on the entire planet. Chloe wished that he could just realize one day that he couldn't save everyone. There were some people who just lacked the ability to be saved.

Stepping out of the shower she got dressed quickly before fixing her hair and applying a little makeup. She didn't want to look like she did not care at all about her appearance, but on the other hand she didn't want to come off as trying too hard. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression by making him think she was interested in anything other than getting her interview. He was known as a playboy for a reason and she did not need to be associated with that kind of reputation. Being friends with Oliver and having to deal with his playboy lifestyle was hard enough.

Once she was ready Chloe made her way down stairs to find a car waiting for her. She rolled her eyes because she had told him she could get her own ride, but he didn't listen and she should have known he wouldn't. With a sigh she smiled as Pepper stepped out of the car and greeted her with a smile. Pepper reminded her a lot of herself. Pepper Potts and Tony Stark were like her and Clark only Chloe didn't work for Clark technically she was just his unpaid sidekick.

"Nice to see you Ms. Potts." She greeted once they were both settled in the back of the town car. "Will you be joining us for lunch today? I sure would love to get an interview from the woman behind Tony Stark. Honestly I don't think you get the credit that you deserve. I know how hard it can be keeping someone like Tony in line."

Pepper let out a laugh. "As much as I would love to give you the interview you are looking for I actually have plans today. With the press conference having been moved to tomorrow morning I have a lot of work to do. Besides I doubt that Tony would want me intruding in on your date."

Chloe let her eyes widen slightly. "No, I think you have the wrong idea. This isn't a date."

"You may not think of it that way, but Tony does." Pepper told the younger woman. She had worked for Tony stark for many years and so she knew how his mind worked. "He never gives a second interview unless he likes the reporter and since this is your second interview and you haven't slept with him then that tells me he really has taken a liking to you."

TBC…

**AN: I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. I kind of wanted to start a friendship between Pepper and Chloe. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Iron Man or Smallville!

When Chloe arrived where she agreed to meet Tony, he had yet to arrive, but Pepper had warned her of that and so the blonde reporter took a seat before pulling out her laptop. She had just started it up when a shadow passed over the table. When she looked up expecting to see Tony Stark, she was a bit startled and nervous to see Lex Luthor standing over her with a smirk on his handsome face. Her first instinct was to come off as defensive, but she squashed that urge the best she could because if she upset Lex so much could go wrong. Chloe realized that she had to play nice in order to make sure she did not lose her interview with Tony. Plus if she played this right she may be able to get a quote from Lex which would please Perry and when Perry was happy, everyone else was happy as well.

"Hi Lex." She greeted as politely as possible considering how much she hated the man standing next to her. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"The same could be said about you." He replied before sitting down across from her without asking her if it was alright, but she hadn't expected anything less from the likes of him. "Usually you would be invading Clark's personal bubble and trying to get him to notice the fact that you are a female. Did he finally get tired of you following him around like a lost puppy? Is that the reason you are sitting here all by your lonesome?"

"She isn't here alone." The voice of Tony Stark came from behind them as he headed to the table before sliding in next to Chloe. He offered her one of his charming smiles and she felt herself smiling back at the face of Iron Man. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting Ms. Sullivan; there was some business matters I had to tend to and it took a little longer than I had anticipated."

"It's not a problem." She assured him with a bright smile of her own. "You are a very busy man and Pepper let me know you may be a little late. I was just checking my email before Mr. Luthor showed up. We both lived there and grew up together."

Tony nodded though he could sense she wasn't telling him everything. He had known they had grown up together and had mutual friends for a while, but they had never actually been true friends and only put up with the other for the friends they had in common. The billionaire also knew that Lex had protected her from his father Lionel when she had gotten on the bad side of the older Luthor man, but after that they had little to no contact. He suspected it had something to do with the fact it happened right around the time Lex had started to get in to the darker side of his research and started acting less than noble or respectful. To put it in simpler terms, it was when Lex had started acting like a Luthor.

"Well I am glad the two of you had a chance to catch up, but I have some business with Ms. Sullivan Lex and with the conference coming up, I am sure you have some things you need to do. Remember we have to meet up later to discuss some final points before tomorrow so I will see you then." The dark haired man made it clear with the tone of voice he used that he wasn't asking.

"Of course." Lex stated after a moment which included a short stare down with the other man. "I will see you later. It was really nice seeing you Chloe, I do hope we will have the chance to catch up later or if not, I am sure we will run in to each other back home. Tell Clark I said hello and as for Oliver, well you can tell him I will be seeing him again very soon."

"I'll be sure to do that Lex." Chloe told him in a polite yet clipped tone. Once he had left she let out huge sigh of relief. "Thank you for the save. Usually I can handle Lex, but I think I was off my game today because I didn't expect to see him here. As you could probably tell, we aren't exactly the best of friends. We could have been at one point, I was willing to try, but that time has long since passed. I'm sorry about unloading my baggage on you, it was very unprofessional on my part. I know you are a busy man Mr. Stark, but I was hoping that we could talk in a more private setting before I have to head back to Smallville. It has nothing to do with your company or anything like that. Actually it has something to do with your other job and I'm sure you would rather we talk about that in private."

Tony knew almost instantly what she wanted to talk about and he didn't have to be a genius to figure it out. She wanted to discus Iron Man and he also knew why. When he had Jarvas run her name through the computer data base, he had discovered many things about the blonde reporter. For instance, not only was she friends with Clark Kent who also seemed to be around in times of danger and he would also somehow save the day, Chloe also happened to be close to Oliver Queen who was a good friend of his. They hadn't spoken much in the last few years since Oliver had made it clear he did not agree with Stark industries making weapons, but they hadn't cut off all communication. He knew his longtime friend was also the Green Arrow, head of what they called the Justice League. Perhaps they needed help with a mission or maybe they wanted some of the technology he used as Iron Man. Whatever they wanted, it meant spending more time with the mysterious Chloe Sullivan and for that reason alone he would listen to what she had to say.

"How about we meet up for a late dinner after my meeting with Lex?" He suggested before taking a sip of the coffee he had ordered a few minutes earlier. "I would suggest we do it now, but I have some errands I have to run and I am sure you have something you need to do. I spoke with Pepper before I came here and if I was wrong and you are not busy, she would love to give you an interview and I gave her permission to give you a private tour of Stark Industries in a way nobody else has gotten to see it. I thought it might help you with your article if you were able to see a side of the company nobody else has. Is that something you would be interested in? If yes, I will call Pepper now and have her send a car for you."

Chloe felt her eyes light up and the prospect of a private tour. "That would be absolutely amazing and I can't thank you enough for this. Despite what everyone says about you, you are a good man, a true hero. I have met my fair share of heroes Mr. Stark, yet not a one of them is quite as fascinating as I found you to be."

Taking her comment as a compliment he winked at her. "If you find me fascinating now then you really are in for the time of your life and you can count on that because I am Tony Stark and I always deliver."

TBC...

**AN: Hi everybody, I know that I haven't updated for a while and I truly am sorry for that. As most of you already know, I need a liver transplant and for those of you who did not know that, well now you do. i have had some very serious and life threatening complications because of my illness including an aneurism and some other things that would take forever to explain, but I will try to update when I can though it may be slow since lately I have been taking a few days off of writing since I get exhausted so easily these days. Anyways, I really hope you liked this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts. Also, I would like to hear your ideas on who I should pair Pepper with. I was thinking Oliver or one of the JL, but if you have ideas I would love to hear them.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Smallville or Ironman!

Chloe had been following Pepper around for about an hour so far as she was given a private tour of Stark Industries and Tony Stark himself. The reporter had to admit she was seeing a side of the man as well as the company that she had not known even existed and so far she was liking what she saw. He was not what the papers made you believe and that was something Chloe admired. In some ways he reminded her of Clark, in other ways he reminded her of Oliver, and there was just a part of him which was his own sort of uniqueness.

"Down there is one of his many personal labs and this one is actually where a lot of Ironman stuff is stored." Pepper motioned to the stairs with her right hand before turning her attention back to Chloe. "Usually I wouldn't even offer, but Mr. Stark did tell me to give you a tour like no other, so would you like to see the lab?"

Chloe felt her eyes widen as excitement boiled up inside of her. Of course she wanted to see the lab,but she knew she had to remain professional since she was here for her job rather than personal enjoyment. "I would love to see the lab as long as you are sure it's alright. I wouldn't want you to get in to trouble or anything because you showed me something you shouldn't."

Pepper smiled brightly as she move forward waving her arm as a way to let Chloe known she should follow her. "It's perfectly fine I assure you. Tony trusts you and if he trusts you then so do I. Besides, even if this was some plot to steal the suite, you would not be able to because one, it wouldn't fit you and two, there are many security precautions we take in order to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I have no doubt." The blond commented as she looked around the white room they had entered. She was in awe and felt a slight jealousy at the technology he had at his finger tips, not to mention is extensive car collection that made her little yellow Yaris seem invisible. "This is amazing."

Pepper nodded in agreement. "It really is, but don't ask me what anything does because I have no idea. I can not even pronounce the name of half the stuff down here."

Chloe smiled softly at the other woman. "I know how that feels. I have a few friends who are much smarter than I am, not that I am stupid, but I am not as smart as they are and whenever they talk about something I don't understand, I am reminded of the teacher from Charlie Brown when she talks."

Tony's assistant laughed at the comment. "I will have to remember that in the future."

Chloe was going to say something in response until something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning, she saw a glass box with one of the original reactors Tony had built which saved his life. Next to that stood the original Ironman suite. "Wow."

"Wow is a good term to use." Pepper stated as she moved to stand next to Chloe. "I have known Tony for a very long time and I can say that since he created Ironman, there has been a change in him for the better and since he met you, even though it has only been a couple of days, I can still see a change. You are good for him Ms. Sullivan and I hope he is able to convince you to stick around for a while."

"I'm not sure how much of a help I could be." She replied feeling her face heat up as she fought off a blush. "I think you have to much faith in Ms. Potts. I do what I can in the fight against evil, but I'm not a hero by any means."

"I think you are." Pepper countered quickly. "A hero does not always have to be the strongest or the smartest person around. A hero, a true hero, is the person who know that even though there is not a lot they can do, they still stand up for what is right no matter the cost and I can tell you are that kind of person. You should try to have more faith in yourself because if you did, I bet you would end up surprising yourself with what you are capable of."

"The same thing could be said about you." The blond woman from Smallville shot back. "I know what it is like to be in the company of true heroes and I can tell you right now that I am in the company of a true hero and considering you are the only other person here with me right now, well I think you know what I am trying to say."

"Well we can agree to disagree when it comes the topic of us as heroes." Pepper told her before stepping back from the display. "Shall we continue with the tour? Mr. Stark should be back soon and I know you have something you need to discuss with him, so we should probably hurry along and finish up this tour before he arrives. Our next top would be further in the lab where I can show you the newest suite and introduce you to Jarvis."

Chloe followed along behind her since she did not want to keep Pepper busy longer than necessary because she was sure the other woman probably had other things she needed to be doing that were more important than the tour she was currently giving Chloe. "On with the tour! Don't mind my enthusiasm, I am running on only coffee and it tends to make me very hyper. As a reporter I basically live off the stuff, but I am sure with your busy schedule you consume quite a bit of coffee as well."

TBC...

**AN: This was a short chapter, but it sets up events in the next chapter. i have to go back to Boston Monday and hopefully I will be back home by tuesday, but I have no idea if they are going to need me to stay. i will update when I can.**

**Please R&R like always!**


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